Chapter 8: His Place

Chapter 8: His Place

***

"Okay, class. For your research paper, you will be working in groups of five," announced their Research Professor, Mr. Chu. He proceeded to list the members in each group, one by one, but Eugene's ears were attuned to the sound of one particular name he was eagerly awaiting to hear. As the Professor continued, Eugene's anticipation grew with each passing moment, silently praying to be placed with smart and dedicated teammates.

As Professor Chu continued to read the names of the students in the first four groups, Eugene's heartbeats thumped in his ears with anticipation. The names of potential group members were called out, but yet Saejin's name had not been mentioned. Eugene fidgeted anxiously, his mind already envisioning being stuck with a group of slackers.

Professor Chu started reading the members of the fifth group. "For Group 5, the members are Choi Yeonjun, Go Daemon, Hong SiO, Jung Saejin,"

Eugene breathed a slight sigh of relief when he heard his name being called, grateful that he would be working with some decent groupmates. However, his momentary satisfaction was shattered as the professor continued.

"And..." A brief pause hung in the air, and Eugene's heart raced, silently praying that the final name would be the name of someone other than Seung. But his hopes were dashed when Professor Chu pronounced the dreaded name.

"So Hui Seung..." Mr. Chu declared. Eugene's heart sank as Seung's name echoed, injecting a sense of foreboding into the atmosphere.

The revelation that Seung and Saejin had different surnames caught everyone off guard. Murmurs were heard among the class. Eugene realized he had never paid much attention to Seung's background before, and the difference of their surnames had slipped his notice. But his stunned expression did not escape Seung's hawk eyes, who immediately picked up on the subtle reaction.

"Okay, now, the remaining students who have not been assigned to a group yet, will be placed in group 6," Mr. Chu announced.

"Excuse me, Mr. Chu, is it possible for me to switch to another group?" Daemon, the class president and top in the class, spoke up.

Another student, who wanted to be with his best friend, also requested, "Mr. Chu, can I switch to another group as well? My best friend is in a different group."

Mr. Chu firmly responded, "No switching of groups. That's final." The class collectively groaned as students heard who they would have to work with. Some whispered among themselves, expressing their disappointment, while others silently cursed their luck. The frustration of being stuck with certain groupmates was palpable in the room, adding an air of tension to the atmosphere.

As the professor concluded his announcement, he declared, "I will give you time to brainstorm with your groupmates. You may change seats and gather yourselves together." The classroom buzzed with commotion as students rushed to find their respective group members. They moved about, swapping seats to form their designated teams.

"Hello there, I'm in your group as well," said Go Daemon, the boy with eyeglasses, as he approached them. Eugene replied with a nod, his expression friendly. He was secretly relieved that Daemon was part of their team, given that Daemon was the class president and ranked top of the class. This was a significant advantage for them.

However, Eugene voiced his curiosity by asking, "Why did you wanted to switch groups earlier?" Even before Daemon could answer, SiO, exuding energy and joy, joined the conversation.

"Hey there, class president!" SiO exclaimed, his face lighting up as he turned towards Daemon. "Looks like we're groupmates!" He quickly made his way over to Yeonjun, "Yeonjun! we're groupmates as well!" But SiO's smile gradually dimmed when he caught sight of Seung's steely glare.

Yeonjun responded with a slightly forced smile, "Yeah, quite the coincidence, huh?"

The group gathered in a circle and commenced a discussion about their approach to the research paper, their voices hushed as they exchanged ideas and divided tasks.

SiO groaned loudly, expressing his disdain for the subject. "Ugh, I hate this subject," he grumbled.

Daemon quickly shushed him. "Shh, keep your voice down. Mr. Chu might hear you," he cautioned.

Eugene spoke up, getting to the point. "So, when are we going to start working on this?" He preferred to get started right away, considering the tight deadline. However, a sudden realization struck him, causing him to pause.

For a moment, Eugene pondered his situation and his motivations. Why should he bother striving for the best grades when this wouldn't affect his own academic record? He wasn't in his original body, after all. He could purposefully make Saejin's grades suffer if he wished. The reality of the situation sunk in, leaving him questioning his own efforts.

"How about we do it this weekend?" Daemon proposed, his natural leadership ability shining through.

"Sure, that works for me," Yeonjun replied casually.

Seeing the absence of any objections to the plan, Daemon continued, "That's settled then. But where should we meet?"

"Let's go to your house!" SiO suggested enthusiastically, but Daemon's response was immediate. He furrowed his eyebrows, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of having strangers in his home.

"Sorry, guys, but there's a family gathering at my house this weekend," he explained, making a polite refusal. Despite the lightheartedness of his demeanor, he was subtly trying to avoid the inconvenience of hosting the group meetings at his house.

"Oh, what's the family occasion?" SiO asked, curious about the upcoming gathering.

"It's nothing," Daemon said quickly.

"Since Daemon's house is preoccupied this weekend, how about we meet at our place?" Yeonjun suggested, offering his own residence as an alternative.

"Why not consider meeting somewhere public, like a café?" Seung proposed, his reluctance obvious. He wasn't enthusiastic about Saejin visiting Yeonjun's house.

"Won't a café be too noisy and distracting with all the customers coming in and out?" Eugene countered, raising a valid concern.

"Then where else do you suggest we go?" Seung retorted, his tone a mix of annoyance and irritation.

The animosity between the two brothers was palpable, creating a tense atmosphere within the group.

Despite the previous disagreements, the group eventually agreed to meet at Yeonjun's house. Yeonjun provided the address, and Eugene silently noted that it was in the same neighborhood as his own home. The prospect of visiting his own house brought a feeling of excitement within Eugene, but he knew he needed to find a discreet way to enter his home without Seung knowing.

Meanwhile, Seung's irritation grew at the thought of being under the same roof as Yeonjun.

"Alright, everyone, just a heads up," Mr. Chu announced, "Your research papers need to be submitted next week for assessment."

The class groaned collectively in response to the tight deadline. Once the bell rang, Mr. Chu dismissed them all.

***

It was Saturday morning when Eugene and Seung arrived at Yeonjun's house. The elegant two-story duplex, adorned with white and black paint, stood in front of them. Without delay, Yeonjun opened the gate to welcome them. Seung carefully parked the car in the driveway.

Carrying their bags, Seung and Saejin headed toward the main entrance. As they approached, a brown dog unexpectedly charged forward and started barking at them. Despite being an animal lover, Eugene felt a pang of fear as the dog's aggression intensified.

The brown dog went for Eugene, jaws open and teeth bared, but Seung reacted swiftly. Catching the dog's collar, he intervened to shield his younger brother just in time. Seung mentally noted to himself that coming here was a mistake and made a vow not to return. His quick reflexes had saved Eugene from harm. Seung shot a venomous glare at the dog, his eyes burning with anger. If looks could kill, then the dog would have perished under the sheer intensity of Seung's gaze.

"Damn!" Seung exclaimed loudly.

Yeonjun, having just closed the gate behind them, quickly intervened and pulled the brown dog away.

"Apologies about that," Yeonjun hurriedly apologized, "This dog isn't usually aggressive. It's odd, he's never like this before," Confusion settled on his face, puzzled by the dog's unexpected behavior.

Having taken possession of Saejin's body, Eugene perfectly comprehended the reason behind the dog's outburst. 'So it seems dogs can perceive souls,' he mused to himself. The revelation caused him to pause for a moment, contemplating Saejin's soul. 'Where is it now? If I have assumed Saejin's physical form, then what has become of his soul?' A flurry of unanticipated thoughts crowded his mind.

"Tie your damn dog if you don't want me to kill that!" Seung angrily said.

Yeonjun offered an apology, his voice tinged with remorse.

"I'm genuinely sorry about that," he said before continuing, "Please go inside. I'll just tie up my dog for a moment."

The dog continued to whine as Yeonjun prepared to restrain it properly.

As the brothers stepped into the house, they noticed SiO and Daemon already waiting for them in the living room. Two laptops were set on the glass table, indicating their readiness to begin. 

"Oh, you're here!" SiO greeted, his cheerful demeanor distinct from the others. 

Yeonjun reentered the room, having finished securing his dog. He briskly spoke, "Now that we're all here, let's get started."

___

In the midst of their work session, a thoughtful suggestion came from SiO. "We should have some snacks while we're working," he proposed, "To fill our stomachs, y'know?"

"Okay, let's order take-out," Yeonjun suggested while pulling out his mobile phone and opening the food delivery app to place the orders for everyone. "Saejin, what do you want?" he asked.

"I'd like some honey shrimp, please," Eugene replied, a pang of nostalgia welling up within him. It had been a while since he last had shrimp. He cherished the memory of his mom bringing home a kilo of shrimp twice weekly and cooking honey shrimp for him.

Seung, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'Saejin had an allergy to shrimp, didn't he? Why would he want to eat it now?' the thought crossed his mind.

"You're allergic to shrimp! Do you want to die?" Seung exclaimed, causing a collective flinch among the group. Eugene was surprised, realizing he had been unaware of this fact about Saejin. He made a mental note to learn more about Saejin's background later.

Realizing his mistake, Eugene hurriedly attempted to save himself. "Oh, right. Sorry I forgot," he feigned memory loss, avoiding Seung's intense gaze with a sheepish expression. 

"How come you forgot?" Seung questioned. "Order bulgogi and fried chicken for the both of us," Seung told Yeonjun sternly as if he was ordering a peasant. Yeonjun slightly got irritated by the tone Seung used to him.

Yeonjun turned his attention to SiO and Daemon.

"Alright, SiO, what do you want?" Yeonjun inquired.

"I want pizza," SiO answered.

"And Daemon, what about you?"

"I'll have some malatang," Daemon replied.

___

Their foods soon arrived, signaling a well-deserved break in their work. Everyone eagerly dropped their laptops and paperworks in favor of the delicious treats. Eugene, in particular, couldn't help but be captivated by the sight of an array of tasty foods laid out in front of him.

SiO, enjoying his pizza, declared melodramatically, "Oh, this is heaven!" as he chewed on a slice.

Daemon remained silent as he savored his malatang. Despite its spiciness, he endured it silently, betraying no signs of discomfort.

Yeonjun too, quietly relished his own meal.

Seung, on the other hand, discreetly ensured that Saejin received all the drumsticks. Although tempted to go as far as feeding his younger brother himself, he restrained himself, mindful of their audience.

"What do you want to drink?" Yeonjun inquired.

SiO boldly suggested, "Can we drink liquor?" Everyone stared at him in surprise, as if he had grown two heads.

"Sure, if everyone's comfortable with it," Yeonjun agreed.

Eugene, who had never tried alcohol before, silently wondered what it would taste like. Although eager to try it, he realized that alcohol might hinder their work.

With a rational mindset, Eugene argued, "We're not here to drink. We're here to work on our research paper." Then he reminded them, "And we still need to conduct surveys with our respondents," emphasizing the pressing matters at hand.

"You're right," Yeonjun agreed. "Let's have juice instead." He asked, "Any specific flavor you guys want?"

SiO responded nonchalantly, "Any flavor is fine with me."

Eugene requested, "Can we have pineapple juice?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Yeonjun promptly headed to the kitchen to prepare the cold juice for everyone, leaving the rest of the group to continue eating.

During their meal, SiO initiated a conversation.

"You two are brothers, right?" SiO inquired curiously. "But you have different surnames," he pointed out. Eugene felt his skin go pale at the question. He himself doesn't know the answer to that.

Eugene, feeling uncomfortable with the line of questioning, dismissed the matter with a vague answer. "It's a long story," he evaded. However, SiO, oblivious to the sensitive nature of his query, persisted.

"But you're related by blood, right?" he repeated, clueless of the emotional territory he was treading on.

Eugene, too, couldn't help but wonder about the blood connection between Saejin and Seung.

Daemon interrupted SiO's line of questioning, chiding him gently. "Hey, SiO, it's not proper to be so prying into others' lives," he rebuked.

Meanwhile, Yeonjun had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Seeing an opportunity to end the potentially uncomfortable discussion, he emerged from the kitchen, bearing a tray of freshly prepared fruity drinks.

Later in the afternoon, the group dispersed to different locations to conduct surveys for their research. They agreed to regroup the following day, but this time they wouldn't meet at Yeonjun's house anymore.

Seung firmly insisted to Yeonjun, leaving no room for argument, "I don't want Saejin to see that dog again." The tone of his voice indicated that this was a non-negotiable matter.

With a determined expression, Seung handed Yeonjun a piece of paper. "We'll gather at my place tomorrow. Here's the address." The words left his lips like a command, leaving no room for disagreement.

Understanding his predicament, Eugene acknowledged the reality of his situation. 'Ah, I won't be able to sneak into my original home after all,' he thought, the realization sinking in. The possibility of returning home discreetly seemed out of reach, leaving him disheartened.

***

Hey guys, sorry for the boring chapter. Haha! Anyway, you're feedbacks are appreciated. See you again next chapter! 🥰